Oil-well cleaner and agitator.



F. C. HOCH & W. I. MGKEE. oIL WELL CLEANER AND AGITATOE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1913.

` Patented Feb. 3, 19141 FIG-4.

INVENTORS BOLUMIIA PLANOGRAFH C0..WASM|NUTON. D. e.

unire sfrnrns Ariana nare FAB/BELL C. HOCH AND XVILLIAM I. MCKEE, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Application filed February 14, 1913. Serial No. 748,378.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FARnnLL C'. HOCH- and WILLIAM I. McKnn, citizens of the United States, and residents of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Well Cleaners-and Agitators, of which the following is a specilication.

The object of this invention is to -provide a simple and eiicient device for spraying the walls of an oil well for the purpose of dissolving paraffin and other accumulations which collect or become deposited in the oil bearing seams and stop or retard the flow of oil. decrease in the production of many oil wells being due to this kind of obstruction. Various forms of spraying' apparatus have been proposed, but those which have been most successful are more or less complicated and expensive tov maintain and operate. These objections are overcome in the apparatus herein proposed which is of simple construction and is adapted to project the cleaning or dissolving liquid with such force as to cause it to reach all portions of the obstructed wall surface.

A further characteristic of the invention is the facility and effectiveness with which the device may be used for agitating the fluid in the well for loosening the seam o-bstruction and accelerating the fio-w.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of the length of the improved cleaner and agitator, the position of the parts being as when the device is being lowered in a well, and Fig. 2

. is a similar view with the device in lowered position and with the outlet valve opened by contact with the bottom of the well, also with the piston in lowered position for ejecting the liquid. Fig. 3 is a top plan of the tool body, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the main portion of the tubular body consists of a piece of commercial tubing 2 of suitable diameter, and secured to its lower end and forming a downward continuation thereof is the tubular head 3, the latter having the threaded extension 3 which unites with the lower threaded extremity of tube 2, as shown. Head 3 is formed with a valve seat 4 and beneath the seat the walls of the head are perforated at 5, the perforations being preferzbly inclined upwardly from their inner en s.

6 is thedownwardly seating valve carried by stem 7 which extends downwardly through stuffing box 7 in the lower portion of head 3. Secured to stem 7 is the anchorlike extension 8 of any desired length, the lower extremity of the anchor being adapted to rest on the bottom of the well and hold the valve fixed while the valve seat lowers therefrom and the body comes to rest on head 9, asin Fig. 2, with the valve in open position.

Movable vertically in the upper portion of body 2 is the weighted piston 10 secured to stem 11 which extends through the upper end of the body and through a guide 12, the latter carried by stop-forming head 13 secured to the upper extremity of the body and of such size as to overhang the path of the piston, being engaged by the latter, as in Fig. 1, for sustaining the weight of the tubular body when being lowered in or removed from a well. Piston 10 has a working fit in the body and is provided with packing rings 10 to prevent excessive flow of liquid therearound when the piston is being operated. Body 2 may be provided with a lling hole 14 somewhat below the uppermost position of the piston.

In operation, the tool is secured to a sand line or other cable orto rods for lowering in a well, the partsbeing in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the tubular body supported by piston 10. After the body has been filled with benzin or other suitable cleaning or solvent liquid it is lowered in the well until anchor 8 reaches the bottom whereupon valve 6 is unseated, the body moving downwardly therefrom and coming to rest on head 9, Fig. 2. The weighted piston is then permitted to move downwardly in the body, as in Fig. 2, forcibly ejecting the liquid through apertures 5 and spraying the walls of the well and dissolving or removing Aaccumulations of paraffin and other matter that may be obstructing the iiow of oil through the rock seams.

It is a common practice to shoot wells in order to increase the production, this being accomplished by dropping powerful explosive charges thereinto which results in laterally enlarging the bottom of the well, and apertures 5 of the cleaning device are inclined as shown to more effectively reach the irregular surfaces of the shot-produced cavity than though the apertures were dis posed horizontally. After the cleaning tiuid has been discharged the device is removed 'from the well by simply pulling upwardly on. stem ll., the latter and the weighted piston supporting` the body during its upward movement. The cleaning device may also be advantageously used for agitating the oil or other liuid within the well-for instance the benzin after the latter has been discharged thereinto, this being` accomplished by working the piston up and down in pump fashion while the body is supported on the well bottom. rlhis results in alternately drawing the fluid into the body and ej ecting it there from, and this churning action is quite effective in opening the oil-bearing seams.

The apparatus is of simple construction, the action of the valve is entirely automatic, and there are no projecting parts that are liable to be injured by contact with the well wall. Vhe weighted piston l0 lowers with sutlicient force to form the discharging liquid into a strong and far-reaching spray.

lVe claim l. The combination of a tubular body having` a valve seat at its lower end and beneath the seat provided with lateral fluid outlets, a downwardly seating valve, a stem depending` from the valve through the lower end of the body, a piston movable in the body above the valve, and a piston operating stein.

The combination of a tubular body having a valve seat at its lower end and beneath the seat provided with lateral fluid outlets, a downwardly seating valve, a stein depending from the valve through the lower end of the body, a piston movable in the body above the valve, a stop at the upper end of the valve engaged by the piston when the latter is in raised position, and a stem extending upwardly from the piston.

3. The combination of a body forming tube, a tubular head secured to and forming a downward continuation of said tube and formed with a valve seat, the head provided with lateral iluid outlets beneath the valve seat, a downwardly seating valve, a stem eX- tending from the valve downwardly through the head, a piston movable vertically in the tube, and a piston operating stem.

1l. The combination of a tubular body formed with a valve seat near its lower end and with lateral fluid outlets beneath the valve seat, a valve for the seat, a stem depending from the valve through the lower end of the body, and an anchor extending downwardly from `the stem and adapted to support the body in lowered position with the valve unseated.

5. The combination of a tubular body formed with a valve seat and with lateral fluid outlets beneath the seat, the outlets being inclined upwardly from their inner to their outer ends, a downwardly seating valve, a stem extending downwardly from the valve through the lower end of the body, a stuffing box in the body through which the stem operates, an anchor extending downwardly from the rod and adapted to support the body in lowered position with the valve open, and a piston movable vertically in the body.

6. The combination of a tubular body formed with a valve seat near its lower end and with lateral fluid outlets beneath the valve seat, a downwardly seating valve, an anchor carrying stem depending from the valve through the lower end of the body, a piston movable vertically in the body, a rod extending upwardly from the piston, and a stop at the upper end of the body and overhanging the path of the piston.

In testimony whereof we aHix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FARRELL C. HOCH. WILLIAM I. MOKEE. lWitnesses H. K. SHERMAN, J. C. HOCH.

Copies of this patent-may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0f Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

